Reading machine indexing mechanism



Apnl 26, 1938. R. H. DRAEGER READING MACHINE INDEXING MECHANISM Filed April 20, 1937 INVENTOR. Rupert HDraeger: BY M a/ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1933 U ITED STATES PATENT Orr-ice (Grantednndertheactoflhrchhlmas amended April 30, 1928: 370 0.6.787)

'lhis invention relates to film indexing mechanisms and more particularly to indexing mechanismsadaptedtobeusedonreadingmachines such as shown and described in my copending applications Serial No. 9,757 filed November 14, 1935, and Serial No. 119,098 filed January 5, 1937. It is, however to be understood, that the use of the indexing mechanism of the present invention is not to be limited to these specific reading 30- machines, but that it may be used on other devices as well as similar reading machines.

Reading machines of the kind mentioned above have some means for moving and guiding fih'n strip carrying images to be examined, and these means include a device for holding the film in proper position for projecting the image onto a viewing screen while the film is at rest. This deviceiscalledafilmgate.

'Ihe primary object of the present invention a is to provide an improved indexing mechanism to be used with a reading machine and operable by means of a crank.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indexing mechanism adapted to advance the a film in a reading machine at will in either direc- Another object of the inventionis to provide an indexing mechanism including -.means for opening the film gate and holding it op n while u the film is being moved in either direction.

Another object of the invention is .to provide an indexing mpermitting the film gate to be closed when the actuation of the indexing mechanism ceases. v

I A further object of the invention is to provide an indexing mechanism in which the I driving power of the crank will be transmitted to one of the spools supporting the film-while the other spool is free to rotate.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an indexing mechanism selectively transmitting the driving power of the crank to one of the spools in accordance with the direction of rotation of the crank. the spool not being driven always being in position to rotate freely.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned may be easily ascertained and understood from the following description in connection'with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof. It is however to be understood that the present invention is not to be restricted to the exact construction and formation shown and described but is to be limited only by the spirit I and scope of the claims appended hereto.

of Fig. i. showing-the film gate opening and closing means. the film being omitted, and 10 Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. From ahead-ilofareadingmachine, acircular hollow depending neck ll extends downwardlyasshowninl 'ig.2formountingthehead 5 on a reading machine housing. A reflecting prism n is mounted on said head directly over the neck II. An objective lens ll'passes light rays through film gate I4 and film iii to the prism II which reflects them into and through the neck ii.

The head II is provided with two upwardly bosses 24 surrounded by spacer rings 25. A spindle 23, extends through a hole in each boss 24 and has a shoulder 23' resting on the surface of each has 24. Each spindle is pro- 25 vided with a screw head 22. for a purpose to be explained later. The ends of the spindles 23, which extend through the top plate of the head ll, arethreaded and nuts 22' hold the spindles in place. 80

Two single flanged spools or spindles i1 and it, having hubs ii, are adapted to be rotatably mounted on the spindles II. The hub portions I! are counterbored at ii and helical compression springs are arranged in said counterbores. The screw heads-22 of the spindles 23 hold the springs 2i securely in their places. The film ll extends from spool ll over a guide roller it through the film gate i4 and over a second guide 10 roller it to the second spool II.

A control shaft 3| is rotatably journaled in the side walls of head II, as indicated at 32 and 33 in Fig. 2. a crank handle :4 is fixedly mounted on one end of shaft 3| for rotating said shaft. Driving-discs or driving-wheels 36 are rigidly mounted on shaft II as indicated at 35, extend through slots 31? andare adapted to frictionally engage the spools i7 and II respectively.

Adjacent to the driving-ducal hubs 30, rigidly connected with cam wheels 2!, are rotatably mounted on the control shaft 3|. Spiral compression springs ll surrounding the shaft ii and abutting oneiend of collars 31, which are fastened to the shaft 8| as shown'at 38. press tion 44 from which a lever arm 43 extends downwardly. A tension spring ll is fastened with one of its ends to the wall of head i and with the other end to arm 4! pulling this arm toward the head wall and tending to hold the film gate in closed position.

Flexible members 4i and 42 are each fastened by one end to the lever arm 43. The other end of member ll is fastened to a lug a and the other end of member 42 to lug ",the two lugs-extending from the second hub 30'. v

Plungers 28 are arranged underneath the spacer rings 25 and are adapted to slide in openings' provided in the top of head lb. The lower portion 44 into open position permitting the'fllm ends of the plungers are forked as indicated at 11 and are riding on a cam notch 28 in the cam wheel C H The indexing mechanism as shown in the drawing and described above operates as follows:

when the driving-shaft II is rotated by means of the crank handle ll, hub 30 and the lugs 39 and 40 extending therefrom are being rotated therewith. One or the other of the flexible members ii and 42 respectively will be pulled to the right in Fig. 3, the selection of the member depending on the direction of rotation of shaft Ii.

This flexible member will pivot the lever arm 43 toward the right thereby swinging the film gate I! to travel freely through the fllm'gate.

vAt the same time the two cam wheels II are being rotated. The cam notches '20 in said wheels are arranged sothat the one plunger 26 riding in said notch is in the position shown in Fig. 4 and at the right hand end of Fig. 2, 1; e. pushed upwardly, thereby lifting the spacer-ring 2! and the spool resting on said ring, and spacing said spool from the driving-wheel 3B, breaking the frictional engagement between these two parts. The

other plunger riding in the other cam notch is in lowered position permitting the spring 2! on that side to push the spool I! into frictional engagement with the corresponding driving-wheel 38. Further rotation of the shaft ll turns.the driving-wheels 38 only, the hubs in and lil' slipping on the shaft because of being connected therewith only through the friction clutch formed by the collar 31, spring 38' and drive-wheel 38. Hence, while crank handle 34 is being turned in one direction the film gate will be held open, and the spool i'l. will be held out of frictional contact in relation to the corresponding driving-wheel 38 while spool I0 is driven. Upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the shaft 8| the plungers- 18 will change their positions so that spool l8 will be lifted away from its driving-wheel and spool II will be forced into frictional engagement with its driving-wheel so that the film 10 wound on the spools i1 and i8 will new travel in the opposite direction. The film gate It will be held in open position during operation regardless of which spool is being driven.

When the rotary movement of shaft 3| ceases, the spring 45 will center the lugs SI and 40 as shown in Fig. 8 and will pivot the movable film gate portion 44 into closed position holding the film therein in correct position for projection.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor. 4

Having thus described the construction, operation'and use of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A film indexing mechanism for reading machines comprising a reading machine head, a control shaft Journaled in said head, a pair of spindles supported on said head and adapted to receive film spools thereon, driving wheels secured on said shaft in proximity of said spindles, means tending to bring said spindles into engagement-witn,1said-wheels liftin means f r said said lifting means, the cam faces being so cut that the lifting means is actuated during the clockwiserotation of the shaft to -move one spindle out of operative relation with the associated driving wheel, and to move the other spindle out of operative relation with the assoin the opposite direction, a film gate through which said film passes and adapted to be opened and closed to permit the advance of the film or to grip it against movement, means for opening and closing said film gate, and meanscontrolled by said shaft to actuate the last mentioned means once during each revolution of said shaft during its clockwise as well as counter-clockwise rotation.

2. A film indexing mechanism for reading machines, comprising a reading machine head, a control shaft Journaled in said head, a pair of spindles supported on said head and adapted to receive film spools thereon, driving wheels secured on said shaft, said head being slotted and said wheels extending through the slots in the head in proximity of said spindles, means tending, to bring said spindles into frictional contact with said wheels, a plunger slidably mounted beneath each spindle to lift it out of operative relation with the associated driving wheel, cams rotatably mounted on said shaft one beneath each plunger in operative relation therewith, friction means for operatively connecting the cams with said shaft, the cam faces engaged by the plunger being so .cut that one of the plungers is raised during the clockwise and the other during the counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft, only one of said cams at a time being adapted to raise the associated plunger once during each revolution of the shaft, and thereby to move one spindle out of operative relation with the associated driving wheel, when the shaft is rotated in one direction and the other when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction.

' with the associated driving wheel, cams rotatably ciated driving wheel when the shaft is rotated mounted on said shait one beneath each plunger in operative relation therewith, friction means for operatively connecting the cams with said shaft, the cam iaces engaged by the plungers being so cut that one of the plunger-s is raised during the clockwise and the other during the counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft, only one of said cams at a time being adapted toraise the associated plunger once during each revolution of the shaft, and thereby to move onespindle out of operative relation with the associated driving wheel, when the shaft is rotated in one direction film passes and adapted to be opened and closed to permit the advance of the film or to grip it against movement. a spring-pressed arm for open.- ing and closing said film gate} and a connection I between said shaft and arm to actuate the latter againstthe tension of said spring once during each revolution of said shaft during its clockwise I as well as counter-clockwise rotation.

RUPERT H. DRAEGER; 

